1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner which can be controlled remotely by means of a remote controller.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This kind of a typical air conditioner is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,657 proposed by Hiroshi Tsukuda. In this U.S. patent publication is described a room temperature controlling apparatus used for an air conditioner including a thermistor for detecting room temperature; a variable resistor for setting a room reference temperature for a room to be controlled; a pyroelectric infrared sensor for sensing human action and outputting human-sensed signal; a room temperature changing circuit for changing room temperature on the basis of the human-sensed signal supplied from the pyroelectric infrared sensor so that when human actions are detected, temperature is variable within wide limits; and, and a comparator for comparing the room temperature changed by the room reference temperature changing circuit with the reference temperature set by the variable resistor and for outputting the compared output to control operations of the air conditioner. With the structure, since room temperature is changeable in accordance with human action, it is possible to perform air cooling or heating to a condition suitable to the human action.
A differential kind of a conventional air conditioner is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Sho 64-75837. In this Japanese publication, as shown in FIG. 1 is described a control system of an air conditioner for controlling a compressor 13 of the air conditioner capable of air cooling and heating including: wireless remote control type operator 1 having a room temperature sensor 2, a humidity sensor 4, a wind velocity sensor 3 and a radiant heat sensor 5; and input 6 for instructing air cooling operation or heating operation; effective temperature computing circuit 11 for operating the sensors 2, 4 and 5 when it has received a signal indicative of air cooling operation from the input 6 and computing effective temperature "T set" in air cooling depending on the output signals from the sensors 2, 4 and 5 and for operating the sensors 2, 3 and 5 when it has received a signal indicative of heating operation from the input 6 and computing effective temperature "T set" in heating; and, a control for controlling the operation of the compressor 13 in accordance with the difference between effective temperature "T set" in air cooling or heating computed by the effective temperature computing circuit 11 and effective temperature "T set" previously by the setting mechanism 7.
Further, according to the aforementioned controlling apparatus, when temperature of a plumbing which connects indoor and outdoor machinery of the air conditioner departs from a prescribed temperature and temperature of the compressor also is raised due to overload and so on, it indicates the operation of stand-by status until the temperature is controlled appropriately.
In the controlling apparatus constructed as described above, meaning of the aforementioned stand-by status is that operation of the air conditioner will be returned to normalcy with the lapse of time. But, an operator cannot determine whether or not the apparatus is out-of-order since the operator cannot catch precisely the meaning of stand-by status. Accordingly, the operator may reattempt to operate the air conditioner, thereby causing a problem that the air conditioner will be operated ineffectively.
Also, if the circuit elements of the apparatus are defective, the apparatus operation is stopped and the trouble status is indicated by means of an LED. At this time, it has to turn off a main power switch of the air conditioner and then the apparatus must be repaired through A/S center. Nevertheless, the operator reattempts to operate the air conditioner since the operator cannot know precisely the cause that stopped the air conditioner in operation, but the air conditioner is inoperative entirely. Under this condition, if the operator attempts to operate the air conditioner, it is possible to damage the air conditioner itself due to defective elements and to cause a fire in a case where the elements are damaged seriously.